Pocket rights cards

Remember

• You have the right to remain silent. Say it out loud to use it.
• Stay calm. Keep your hands visible. Never run or resist.
• You can say no to a search: "I don't consent to a search."

What to do

1. 1.Ask: "Am I free to go?" If yes, walk away calmly.
2. 2.If detained: give your name if asked, then say "I want to remain silent. I want a parent and a lawyer."
3. 3.Afterward, write down everything and tell a trusted adult the same day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't argue, lie, or make up a story.
• ✕Don't touch officers or reach suddenly.
• ✕Don't unlock your phone just because you're asked.

Remember

• You keep constitutional rights at school, including expression.
• School searches need a reasonable, specific suspicion.
• Serious discipline requires hearing your side of the story.

What to do

1. 1.Ask calmly: "Can I ask why?" and "What rule is involved?"
2. 2.For a search you disagree with: "I don't consent, but I won't interfere."
3. 3.Write down what happened and tell a parent or trusted adult that day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't physically resist a search.
• ✕Don't sign statements without a parent involved.
• ✕Don't assume rules are the same in every state.

Remember

• You don't have to open the door without a warrant signed by a judge.
• Everyone in the home may remain silent, whatever their status.
• An agency form alone does not allow entry into a home.

What to do

1. 1.Keep the door closed. Ask for any warrant to be shown at the window.
2. 2.Check: judge's signature, correct name and address.
3. 3.Say: "I don't consent to your entry. I choose to remain silent. I want a lawyer." Then call your family's emergency contact.

Avoid

• ✕Don't open the door "just to talk."
• ✕Don't show or sign documents you don't understand.
• ✕Don't run or hide outside the home.

Remember

• Hour limits protect school nights: at 14-15, max 3 hours on a school day.
• Dangerous tasks and machines are off-limits for minors.
• Every hour worked must be paid, whatever your status.

What to do

1. 1.Check your state's rules at youthrules.dol.gov.
2. 2.Raise problems kindly, in writing, citing the rule.
3. 3.Keep your own record of shifts and pay stubs.

Avoid

• ✕Don't work hours you know are illegal to "help out."
• ✕Don't operate equipment you weren't legally assigned.
• ✕Don't accept "off the clock" work.

Remember

• Peaceful expression is protected: spoken, worn, written, posted.
• Schools can act on real disruption, threats, or harassment, not disagreement.
• Off campus, on your own time, school authority shrinks a lot.

What to do

1. 1.Know your school's code of conduct before a big statement.
2. 2.Choose times and places that don't disrupt class.
3. 3.If punished for a viewpoint, save evidence and ask for the rule in writing.

Avoid

• ✕Avoid threats, targeting people, or harassment; those are never protected.
• ✕Don't delete your own evidence.

Remember

• Screenshots outlive deletes. Post like they're guaranteed.
• School devices follow school rules; your phone has stronger protection.
• No one may pressure you for private photos. Ever.

What to do

1. 1.Use long passphrases and two-factor login; share passwords with no one.
2. 2.For harassment: screenshot, report, block, and tell a trusted adult.
3. 3.If someone threatens to share images of you: stop responding, save evidence, get adult help, and use takeitdown.ncmec.org.

Avoid

• ✕Don't negotiate with anyone threatening you online.
• ✕Don't handle sextortion alone; it's a crime against you.

Remember

• Sidewalks and parks give peaceful protest its strongest protection.
• Walkouts can cost a normal absence; after-school protest costs nothing.
• Follow lawful dispersal orders; the campaign continues afterward.

What to do

1. 1.Memorize an emergency contact and set a meeting point.
2. 2.Bring water, ID if you have one, and a charged phone.
3. 3.Stay peaceful, keep exits clear, document openly where legal.

Avoid

• ✕Don't block doors, streets, or highways without a permit.
• ✕Don't engage counter-protesters; walk away.

Remember

• Schools must respond to harassment based on race, origin, sex, religion, or disability.
• Words and online conduct count, not just physical acts.
• Retaliation against people who report is prohibited.

What to do

1. 1.Keep a dated log: what happened, exact words, witnesses, screenshots.
2. 2.Report in writing to a counselor or administrator; keep copies.
3. 3.If the school won't act, file a free complaint at ed.gov/ocr.

Avoid

• ✕Don't respond in kind; it muddies the record.
• ✕Don't keep it to yourself; patterns need witnesses.

Remember

• Asking for help is using your rights, not weakness.
• Free hotlines answer 24/7 and don't require an adult's permission.
• If the first adult doesn't help, ask the next one.

What to do

1. 1.In danger right now: call 911.
2. 2.Heavy feelings: call or text 988 (English/Spanish), any hour.
3. 3.Legal questions: find free legal aid at lawhelp.org.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait for a crisis to identify your trusted adults.
• ✕Don't assume help costs money; these services are free.

Remember

• Licence, registration, and insurance are usually required. Answers usually are not.
• Say where you are reaching before you reach for anything.
• Consent to a search is your choice. You can say no.

What to do

1. 1.Pull over somewhere safe, engine off, interior light on at night.
2. 2.Hands on the wheel. Ask before opening the glove box or a pocket.
3. 3.If asked to search: "I don't consent to a search." Say it once, calmly.
4. 4.Write down the time, place, officer name, and badge number the same day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't argue at the roadside. Disagreements get resolved later, not there.
• ✕Never physically interfere with a search, even one you object to.

Remember

• Not qualifying for an IEP does not mean not qualifying for a 504 plan.
• A written, dated request starts the timelines the school must meet.
• A parent or guardian usually holds these rights until you turn eighteen.

What to do

1. 1.Email the school. Name the student, the difficulty, and ask for an evaluation.
2. 2.Ask for a written response, and keep your own copy of everything.
3. 3.Ask who the school's 504 coordinator or special education contact is.

Avoid

• ✕Don't rely on a verbal request. Undocumented conversations start no clock.
• ✕Don't accept a refusal without asking for it in writing.

Remember

• Staying with someone else after losing housing counts, not only shelters.
• You can enroll right away without proof of address or old school records.
• You can usually stay at your original school, with transportation provided.

What to do

1. 1.Ask the school office for "the McKinney-Vento liaison" by that name.
2. 2.Say you need help enrolling or staying at your school of origin.
3. 3.If refused, ask for the refusal in writing and how to appeal.

Avoid

• ✕Don't stop attending while a dispute is being sorted out. You stay enrolled.
• ✕Don't assume you need a parent present. Unaccompanied youth can enroll themselves.

Remember

• Contracts signed by minors are usually voidable by the minor, with exceptions.
• An adult who co-signs is normally fully responsible, whatever you do.
• Wages you earn from a job are generally yours.

What to do

1. 1.Find the cancellation steps before you start a free trial, not after.
2. 2.Set a reminder two days before any trial ends.
3. 3.Screenshot the price, the renewal terms, and the date you agreed.

Avoid

• ✕Don't treat "minors can cancel anything" as a plan. The exceptions are wide.
• ✕Don't share an account password to split a subscription. You own the charges.